Voting in America

Underline the main idea of paragraph 3.

Underline the main idea of paragraph 5.

Which of these sentences BEST summarizes the passage?

• The right to vote is the cornerstone of any democracy.

• Americans don't vote.

• The U.S. Constitution has been amended three times to state who can vote.

• Many eligible voters in America do not vote for many reasons and possible solutions are discussed.

Part A: What is the main idea of the passage?

• Voting gives people the power to actively participate in their government.

• The United States ranks at the bottom for voter participation.

• In general, people who are not registered to vote are less educated, make less money, and do not belong to a political party.

• One barrier to voting is the voter-registration process itself.

Part B:  What detail best supports the main idea of the passage?

• 1. “On average, however, only 50% of registered voters actually cast a ballot in U.S. national elections.”

• “They may not feel connected to their community.”

• “If the government implemented other voting options, it would make it easier for people to vote.”

• “Bad weather or traffic can easily inhibit people from voting.”

Summarize the text.

Part A: How did the author arrange the text?

• cause and effect

• compare and contrast

• problem and solution

• time order

Part B: Which supports your answer for the previous question? Select ALL that apply.

• The author poses problems as questions in the passage.

• The author presents potential solutions to increase voter participation and turn out.

• The author compares voting in America to that in other countries.

• The author is concerned about the democracy of the United States and wants the current process to be amended in order to improve voter turnout.